Spied: Renault Kaptur spotted testing in India

The upcoming Renault Kaptur was recently spotted testing in India for the first time. The Kaptur is based on the Renault Duster. This means that it'll be offered with the same 110PS/245Nm 1.5-litre turbodiesel unit and 104PS/148Nm 1.6-litre petrol unit from the Duster. Transmission options will include a 5-speed manual for the petrol motor while the diesel unit will get a 6-speed manual and possibly the 6-speed AMT instead of the DCT which is offered with internationally, to keep costs low. We also expect the Kaptur to be offered in an AWD variant like the Duster.

The Renault Kaptur's design, however, is completely different from the Duster. Although the wheelbase is identical, it is longer than the Duster by 18mm, shorter in terms of height by 82mm and 9mm narrower. These dimensions make the Kaptur look more MUV-like although it has the same ground clearance as the Duster - 204mm. The test mule seen in the images here is running the same 17-inch alloys from the international-spec Kaptur, and we expect to see the same when the car goes on sale here. The interior of the Kaptur too is all-new and features a more modern and upmarket design than the Duster. The only familiar thing in the dashboard will be the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system seen in the Duster and Kwid.

We expect the Kaptur to be launched in India by the end of 2017. Considering that it will be positioned as a more premium vehicle than the Duster, it will compete, in terms of price, with the top-end Hyundai Creta and the Mahindra XUV500.